A Change of Perspective
by Sora'sOtherForm
Summary: What if Harry were a metamorphmagus? What if there weren't a horcrux in his head? What if... these are the questions that make fanfiction, the what if's. This is my answer to a few.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: Hello everybody to my second attempt at fanfiction. Sadly my first died from Bat poison, so … Yeah. This will be a Harry potter fanfiction, and do you know what that means? (pause to think) YES… that means Weasley bashing, live with it. You know something though… I will be doing a few things differently, to this is AU._

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I am only doing this once, so read closely I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own any small tidbits of other fandoms that may or may not pop up. If I did, Harry would marry Luna, Naruto would have a bloodline, and the Doctor would still leave the Ponds in the past. Anything that seem familiar is… savvy._

_Flame will be doused with holy water and sent to the devil with compliments :)_

_Also, I have an odd POV for this story at first… sorry_

_On to the story…_

**A Change of Perspective**

Chapter 1: Where we introduce the main character

A house, collapsed in as if from an explosion, was being approached by a man, an odd man, but a man nevertheless. This man was very tall, very thin, and very old, judging by his silver-white hair. He was wearing a long robe, a purple cloak with stars on it, and high-heeled buckled boots. His eyes, which had a sparkle that was dimming to nearly non-existent, were a light blue. They were searching the ruined house for something, something which he found it the bedroom in the corner. Though calling it a room might be a bit too generous, crater might be more accurate. There he spotted a child in a crib, an odd child, but still a child. This child had striking green (Mini AN: You thought I was gonna say eyes didn't you…) hair, bright red eyes, and blue skin, at least at the time. When our mysterious old man got to the crib, the child had turned pitch black and was crying.

"Hello, little Harry," for this was the little child's name, "You are going to be very important one day..." said the old man as he withdrew a slender stick from his sleeve.

"...but for now, for the Greater Good, you must be as ordinary as possible."

As he said this he pointed his wand at little Harry Potter, and a bright flash of light came from the little stick.

"There, that will keep your powers under control, mostly…" he said, shrugging.

He looked down at the now black-haired, green-eyed boy, and noticed that this spell had one minor side effect, it left a small scar on his forehead. A scar in the shape of a lightning bolt. The man set down the child where he found him, and whispered a good-bye to the boy. He then spun on his heel and vanished.

Three hours later, a large, Black dog came up to the boy, whining sadly. As it approached Harry, it turned into a man, yet another odd man… shocking isn't it? This man had black hair that went to his shoulders, heavy black robes, and a gold badge on his chest, similar to a police badge.

The man picked up little Harry and said, to no one, since he was alone, "Don't worry, Prongs, I'll take care of him."

The man started to leave when he heard yet another voice, you guessed it, from yet another strange man, "'Ello Sirius."

"Hello Hagrid. What are you doing here?"

Hagrid, a giant of a man, ten feet tall and four wide, said, "I'm 'ere on Dumbledore's orders. I'm s'posed to take li'l 'Arry 'ere to his relatives so 'e'll be safe."

Sirius, outraged at the thought of being separated from Harry, said, "No, Hagrid, I'm sorry, but Harry will be staying with me."

"Now see 'ere, Sirius, it's Dumbledore's…" he started, but was cut off.

"To hell with Dumbledore's orders. I will be taking care of my godson."

"Now come on, Sirius. It _is _Dumbledore, 'E'll make sure he is safe," reasoned Hagrid

After a long time in thought, Sirius handed Harry to Hagrid "Fine, but take my bike. It is untraceable, so you and Harry will be safe."

Hagrid, happy that they had settled things said, "Kay then, Sirius. Be careful."

Hagrid then climbed into said bike, and flew off.

"I'll be careful when this is finally over, and that rat is dead," said Sirius as he, like the old man, spun and disappeared.

_So, that was chapter one. Thoughts, comments, concerns? Leave them in the reviews. Until next time, this is SorasOtherForm, signing off._


	2. Chapter 2

_AN:Well… I am happy to say that there appears to be some interest in this story, thanks for that. I have a few chapters written in a journal, so updates will be fairly quick, at first, but after those are exhausted, I will not be able to maintain such a pace. Onward to the story, and thanks to my two reviewers._

_Also, go under the assumption that things happened pretty much the same as it happened in the books until this point. His metamorph powers were sealed, but he still had accidental magic._

Chapter 2: That Girl with the Hair

It was a stormy night, a night where one would rather be under a blanket by the fireplace than anywhere else. This, albeit not quite as comfortable as one would think, was where we could find ten year old Harry Potter on that stormy night. He was under a threadbare blanket by an empty fireplace. The storm outside was getting worse by the minute, but Harry wasn't concerned with that. No, he was concerned with the ten minutes he had until he turned eleven. Every year, Harry would count down those few minutes before his existence increased by a full year. Each year, he would have the same thought, the same wish, '_That much closer to leaving the Dursleys and never looking back.'_

Despite what his grades, and his family, would tell you, Harry was a bright child. He devoured books like a man possessed. He would read anything from a fantasy novel about magic and wizards and dragons, '_...like those are real..._', to books on math and science, '..._maybe I can figure out how to blow things up...', _to just about anything on paper. He spent any time not in school, or in the Dursley household, in the local library. So he knew that his experience in Durskatraz, as he called his time under the care, or lack there of, of his relatives was not what one would call normal. He longed to go somewhere, anywhere, where he could be himself, not the burden, the Freak, the waste-of-space-good-for-nothing, but just Harry.

Suddenly there was a quiet knock at the door. Harry, not expecting guests at 11:50 at night, on a rock in the middle of the ocean, barely accessible by boat, and, most likely to keep someone away, in a house full of Dursleys, decided to see exactly who would come out this far in a storm like this, and for what reason.

When he opened the door, he saw, to his genuine surprise, a girl. This particular girl looked to be around seventeen, with pink hair and purple eyes. She also seemed to know him, if how, as soon as she saw him, she started to hug him was any indicator.

Harry, surprised by the contact, but happy about getting his first ever hug that he could remember, asked, "Pardon me, but, who exactly are you?"

The girl, realizing how odd this would seem, said, "Hello Harry. I am…" she paused, and seemed to struggle with saying the next word, "... Nymphadora Tonks, but please just call me Tonks. I have been sent here to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Harry, not sure if he had misheard her, just looked at her in confusion.

Tonks, unsure of what to do, asked hopefully, "You have heard of Hogwarts, right?"

Harry just shook his head.

Tonks sighed, holding the bridge of her nose. She then said, "Well then, this will be a bit more difficult. But, you, at least know about magic, right?" she asked, hoping for a positive response.

"Sorry, no," Harry replied.

Before Harry's eyes, Tonks turned red, literally. Her hair and eyes turned a deep scarlet, her anger nearly palpable.

Harry, not sure what he had said, but thinking he was in the wrong said, "I... I'm sorry."

Tonks blinked. Returning to her normal look, she said, "It isn't your fault I'm angry, Harry. It is your so-called _family_'s fault." She held out her arm to him, "Come on, Harry, we're leaving. Grab on."

Happy to get away from his relatives, he quickly grabbed onto her arm. As soon as he grabbed onto her arm, he felt her start to spin. Then, he felt how he imagined toothpaste would feel, like he was being squeezed through a tube that was not quite big enough.

When the tube sensation was gone, Harry looked around. He definitely wasn't on a rock in the middle of the sea anymore. He and the girl with the color-changing hair had ended up in a pub, if the dingy place covered in dirt could be called that. He wasn't even going to question how they got here. THe girl had mentioned magic, and with the zoo incident and the hair incident, he was willing to go with it for now.

Harry checked his watch. It was 11:55 PM. Harry, tired from all that had gone on in the last five minutes, not to mention the rest of the day, so he asked, "Excuse me, Tonks, could we do, whatever it is that needs to be done, tomorrow? I'm tired."

"Of course, Harry. What did you think, that I was going to drag you around in the middle of the night to do Merlin-knows what? Nah, we are here because it also has rooms that people can spend the night in."

At that, Tonks yelled, "OY TOM, GET YOUR LAZY BUTT DOWN HERE AND GIVE ME TWO ROOMS!"

From somewhere in the back of the pub, Harry heard a voice, "Fine, hold your horses, you damnable banshee."

From the door behind the bar, a tired man, presumably Tom, walked up with two keys. He tossed them at Tonks. "There, now let me sleep." As he walked away, he was mumbling about crazy teenagers.

Tonks smiled at Harry, and messed up his hair, "Come on, kid. Let's get some sleep."

They, then, went to their separate rooms and were asleep in seconds.

_AN: There is chapter 2. Questions, comments, concerns? Leave it in the comments._


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: I'm on vacation, so, this will probably be the last one of the month. Yeah… so enjoy._

Chapter 3: The Bindings Break

Tonks woke up first the next morning. She got out of bed, got ready, and then went to check up on Harry. When she entered his room, she saw something she most definitely was not expecting. Where, last night, there was a normal, if somewhat short, eleven year old boy, there was, now, a very strange-looking boy, white hair, blue skin, and, weirdest of all, scales covering his arms and legs. Now, Tonks was a seventeen year old girl, and she did what most seventeen year old girls would in that situation. She screamed, loudly.

Harry, not used to being awakened by loud, girly shrieks, shot up out of bed, turning white, literally, from fright.

Tonks, seeing the color change, began to realize what was going on.

"Harry," Tonks said calmly, "I am sorry that I woke you like that, but your appearance surprised me. Now listen carefully, Harry. You have an ability, a magical ability. You are what is known as a metamorphmagus. You can change your appearance by thinking about it."

As Tonks finished explaining why he was woken in the manner that he was, Harry began to look more and more like his usual self, give or take a few colors and scales.

"Okay, are you good now?" Tonks asked

Harry nodded.

"Now, am going to tell a couple things, and then we are going to play a game, okay?" she asked.

Another nod.

"Okay, magic is real. So are most mythical creatures." She paused, letting him think.

Harry thought about what had happened since the incident at the zoo and nodded. It was what made the most sense.

"Okay, you accepted that rather quickly." She shrugged, "Easier for me then. People who use magic are called witches or wizards, depending on gender. I am a witch and, well, you… How do I want to say this…" she paused and thought for a minute, "You're a wizard, Harry."

Another nod.

'He seems to be taking this fairly well," she thought.

"Okay then, now a game. I made this up myself, Wizard 20 Questions. You ask me any twenty questions about the wizarding world, magic, or anything else magic-related. There are even prizes." she said, pausing for dramatic effect. "One question I can't answer, and I will buy you an ice cream, two, any book in Flourish and Blotts, and three is a surprise. Sound fair?" she explained.

Harry nodded. "Sounds fun, N… Tonks," he said, remembering at the last second not to use her first name.

"Okay then, kiddo, shoot." Tonks said

Harry, thinking, asked, "Do dragons exist?"

"Yep, big ones. Hagrid, the groundskeeper at Hogwarts, has always wanted one, for some reason," Tonks said with a slight smirk, 'Maybe I won't have to pay out after all,' she thought.

Harry thought some more and, wanting to win, pulled out a much tougher question, "How are spells created?"

Tonks didn't know this. 'Darn,' she thought.

"Good question, Harry, but I don't know, so you, Mr. Potter, have just won an ice cream." she said with a smile his way.

Harry smiled back and asked his next question, "What classes can I take at Hogwarts?"

Tonks replied, "Well, there are a bunch of electives at Hogwarts, anything from Arithmancy to Xenobiology, but those are only available from third year up," At this point, Harry's face fell, and Tonks laughed, " First and second year are used to give students the basics, so they can succeed in the more challenging classes in their later years. The core classes, which you take during these years, are, for the most part, really fun. There is transfiguration, changing things into other things. That class is really fun, and metamorphmagi, like you and me, tend to be gifted in it, but is still is also Charms, using magic to make something do something. Herbology is working with plants, Astronomy is the magic of the stars, History of Magic is duller than anything, but they can't all be awesome. Potions, as a topic, is awesome, but the teacher is a biased git who gives obvious preference to Slytherin House, which is one of the four Houses of Hogwarts. You will be sorted into a House when you get to school," she said, answering his unasked question, "You will probably want to read over your potions book a few times before classes start, The last class that is a core subject is kinda cursed," she shrugged, "No teacher has lasted longer than a year in over thirty years. Defence Against the Dark Arts is, despite this, an awesome class. You get to learn curses and counter-curses, how to defend yourself, and more. So, yeah, does that answer your question, Harry?"

Harry nodded. That was more than he was expecting. He thought for a moment, and realized that he had no idea how he would pay for his school things, Dursleys sure weren't going to pay for him.

"How am I going to pay for my school things? I don't have any money." he asked.

Tonks laughed, "Harry, your parents left you a not-so-small fortune. We will stop by the wizard bank after lunch, and then do your shopping."

"Okay. Thanks Tonks. So," harry asked, "do sphinxes really ask people riddles?"

'Crap," Tonks thought, 'We didn't cover sphinxes yet, those are covered this year.'

"I don't know, Harry, we haven't covered that yet."

Harry smiled, 'A new book,' he thought.

He then went on to ask thirteen other questions, which, while interesting, will not be recorded here. Tonks was able to answer them all, and felt fairly certain that she could answer the last two with ease. She would learn to know better.

"So," Harry asked, "how is magic classified, and what are the criteria for dark magic?"

Tonks, who grew up in the magical world, had never questioned sat there, mentally searching her mind for the answer. 'Why don't I know this? I should know this. Has this ever been covered in class?' she thought. Her inner turmoil was shown through her rapidly changing hair color.

After a long, colorful five minutes, Tonks sighed, and with a defeated tone, told Harry, "I don't know, but you can bet your vault I will find out."

She checked the time with a quick Tempus. Her eyes widened, "Merlin's left, Harry, it is nearly noon! How about we go grab some food down in the pub, and then we'll get a start on your school shopping?"

Harry nodded for what seemed like the millionth time that morning, "Okay Tonks."

Tonks, realizing that she was with, possibly, the most famous person in the entirety of the wizarding world, suggested to Harry, "Why don't you practice your metamorphmagus powers while we are out?"

Harry, thinking it would be fun, thought of himself as a brown-haired, hazel-eyed boy of average height, completely average in every way.

Tonks was impressed, 'Perfect for shopping, no one will remember such an average-looking kid.' Outloud, she said, "Nice job, but why so average?"

Harry replied, "I thought it would be easier to shop this way."

Tonks nodded and took him down into the Leaky Cauldron for lunch.

Tom was behind the counter, cleaning some dishes and taking the lunch orders. He saw the Tonks girl, who woke him up last night, and the boy she was with. He looked different, but maybe he was just imagining things, he was half-asleep.

"So, ya darn banshee, you're finally awake," he said with a laugh and a smile, he was a forgiving person.

"Yeah, Tom," Tonks said sheepishly, "Sorry about that, got in late and was tired. This here is my cousin, Harry. He's off to Hogwarts this year."

"Hello there, Harry. I'm Tom. So, you two want something to eat? We have a pretty good selection of food, if you're hungry."

Tonks nodded, "Sure, Tom. We'll have two of whatever you suggest." She then whispered to Harry, "You don't order in the Leaky Cauldron. Tom has an eye for what people will like, so he gets you food based off of that, and it is always amazing."

Harry smiled. It sounded cool to him.

"Here you go. A beef stew for the fairy girl, and a chicken legg with mashed potatoes for her victim, I mean cousin," Tom said with a smile.

Tonks, noticing the reference to her real name, started to take her anger out at the stew, devouring it.

Harry laughed and started on his meal. Tonks was right. It was amazing.

_AN: That is where I'll end it for now. Expect the next chapter some time in July. Until then, stay classy, my friends._


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: It is __July, so am I on time?__ I expected to finish this faster, but no one tells you how hard it is to write a good Diagon Alley scene. I did my best, so, yeah. Enjoy. Also, I just discovered from research (read as I did math on the HP Wiki) that I actually put Tonks at the exact right age. She graduates the year that Harry joins Hogwarts, so, I did good there, yay._

Chapter 4: Magic, Money, and Mischief

After their satisfying lunch, Tonks led Harry out back to a dead end with some trash cans

"Umm, Tonks, I thought we were going shopping, so why did we come back here?" Harry asked. He might not have gone shopping a lot, but he knew stores were a requirement for shopping.

"Well, you see, there is a secret doorway back here to the magical shopping area for Great Britain. You can't just leave something like that out in the open where any Muggle can find it," she explained.

At that, Harry got confused, "Why not just disguise the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Because it… You see… Well, the reason is… uhh… hmm," Tonks articulated. "Tradition?" she finally queried with a shrug. "Anyway, Harry, we need to get going. We need to get some money from the bank."

Harry shrugged, "Okay then, Tonks, but what are we buying? Are we going to be able to get what I need in this Diagon Alley?"

Tonks nearly started slamming her head against the gateway, which was currently a brick wall. She pulled a letter out of her cloak, "I was supposed to give you this, but, after all that has gone on, I, kinda sorta, forgot," she said with a small shrug as she handed him the letter.

Harry, having seen this kind of letter before, and finally getting to read it, ripped into it and pulled it out.

The letter read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

"I am guessing that the owl requirement has been dropped." Harry said, and seeing Tonks nod, moved on to the next page.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of _WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4\. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

_The Standard Book of S_pells (Grade 1)

by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic

by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory

_by Adalbert Waffling_

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration

by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi

by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions

by Arsenius Jigger

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

_by Newt Sc_amander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection

_by Quentin Trimble_

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

3 lbs of parchment

1 bag lemon drops (to be given to the Headmaster upon first meeting said person)

Students may also bring, if they desire, a pet that does not endanger the rest of the populace of Hogwarts, common examples are an owl, cat, or toad.

requirements for being considered "not endangering"

Does not breath fire, poison, ice, etc.

Does not eat humans without provocation

Does not eat lemon drops

Any venom it may have must have an antidote

It may not eat homework, test papers, books, or other pets

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

Yours sincerely,

Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus

Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions

"Well, it is definitely more exact than I expected, and, if you don't mind, what is up with the lemon drops?" Harry asked.

"Well, I'll be damned, he actually did it…" Tonks said in awed surprise.

"Umm… Who did what, exactly?" Harry asked, confused.

"Dumbledore. He has been crazy over these muggle sweets for years, and has always been running low, as he gives them out like candy…" Tonks paused to consider her last statement, "...Never mind that. He gives them out a lot. For years now, he has been trying to get McGonagall to put them on the Supplies List. He finally managed it."

Harry was unsure how to react to this, to he just let it go.

"Well, anyway," Tonks said, "Tapping specific bricks in a counter-clockwise order, "Welcome, Harry, to Diagon Alley."

As she said this, the bricks started to curl in on themselves, leaving an opening to, in Harry's opinion, the most fantastic alley in the world.

Diagon Alley was one of Wizarding Britain's most famous places, officially ranked at number eight, right before Hogsmeade and after Godric's Hollow, and Harry was stunned upon first seeing the magical shopping district. There were so many colorful stores and stands that he was overwhelmed and turned slightly green, literally, not figuratively.

Tonks, seeing this, nudged him, "You're looking a little _green_ there, Harry. Are you okay?" Seeing Harry nod, she continued to lead them into the alley, heading towards a large, official-looking white building near the end of the street.

"This, Harry, is Gringott's. It is the bank the majority of the Wizarding World uses. It is also run by Goblins, so you need to know a few things. Goblins are a warrior race, meaning they value strength and wealth more than prestige or politeness. So, you need to walk up to the counter as if you already got what you want, talk to them as if they are either your equal or lower, slightly, and, most importantly, do not break eye contact if they initiate it. That shows weakness. Also, don't be nervous. Nervousness is also a sign of weakness. And, most importantly, do not refer to them as Sir or Madam. Goblins are very similar between male and female, and people have been beheaded for calling a goblin the wrong gender, just refer to them as banker and then their given name."

As Tonks finished her warning, Harry started to turn green once again. He, also began to shrink. However, as Tonks grabbed his hand, Harry mustered up enough courage to at least not seem as afraid. He returned to his "normal" appearance.

"Well then, Harry, here we go." Tonks said as she opened the door and went to the nearest open Teller.

"Greetings Banker Shatterhelm," she said to the teller, who had his name on the sign in front of his work station, "I am here today on official Hogwarts business and wish to be escorted to this young man's vault. His vault number is 687, which, as your records will show, is a trust vault under the name of a rather famous individual. I do not wish to broadcast my charge's identity, but can assure you he is who the vault is owned by, and he does have his key." she stated in a very authoritative tone, unusual for the bright, cheerful person she normally is.

The goblin, Shatterhelm, nodded and held out his hand for the key.

"Very well, please follow me to the cart." stated the goblin as he hopped down from his very tall stool. And no, they aren't compensating for something, they just cost less and were on sale when they were buying teller stools, at least that is the official Gringott's statement.

Shatterhelm led them to another goblin, this one named Rattleclaw, who took them down to the vaults in, what was later described as, the most epic minecart ever.

"Vault 687, get out." said the goblin in a very irritated voice. '_The damnable wizards aren't supposed to _enjoy _the ride down to the vault.'_

Rattleclaw took out the vault key and opened the door for Harry and Tonks. Inside said vault was a small mountain of coins. Harry, having never seen so much money, in any form, did what any reasonable eleven year-old would do, he ran in and started filling his pockets to the brim with every coin he could grab.

Ten minutes, four unnoticeable expansion charms, countless laughs, and a disgruntled, and slightly lighter-pocketed, goblin later they were back in the cart.

"... and _that, _my dear goblin, is why you never bet against a Potter." Tonks said as they exited the cart.

"Yeah, yeah. All I'm hearing is that you cheated based off of an unknown variable." Rattleclaw replied with a smirk, "It was very goblin-like. Good day Ms. Tonks. And Mr. Potter, if you play any sports in the future, please tell me. I wish to recoup my losses by betting on you in the future."

And with that, their goblin _acquaintance?_ left them for whatever job he had to do besides transporting clients to vaults.

"You know what, Harry, I think I was wrong about goblins. Instead of being stuck up around them, you might just want to treat them the way they treat you. In other words, squeeze them for every knut you can, and expect no less from them."

Harry nodded, and the two went towards the exit of the bank. As they left, Harry overheard a large man with a beard, who seemed oddly familiar to Harry.

"Tha's righ'. I need to go to Vault 713. Gots ta get the 'you-know-what' fer Dumbledore."

AN:_And that is chapter 4. Sorry again for the wait, but I got busy with school. Also, Dumbledore, no matter how common it is now, will _not _be dark in this fic. More of a manipulative gray. He will be how I percieve his actual character, from the books._


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